Additional Reporting by Hannah Tubman ‘20
It’s finally Oscar night! Each year, the biggest and brightest stars from the silver screen come together to commemorate the greatest work in cinema from the past year. Even though this year’s ceremony is void of a designated host, there is still plenty of drama to look forward to. Check below for my predictions for who will and should win! Happy Oscars night!
Who Should Win [S]
Who Will Win [W]
BEST PICTURE
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker” [S]
“Little Women”
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
“Marriage Story”
“Parasite”
“1917” [W]
When a Martin Scorsese film is being forgotten about in the Best Picture category, you know it’s been a strong year in Hollywood. The section is loaded with unbelievable films, and all deserve recognition for their unique approach to storytelling. After winning the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Picture, “1917” is the clear-cut favorite with the Academy. “Joker” is a beautifully crafted film, but simply too controversial to be selected by the committee this year.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” [W] [S]
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” [W] [S]
Pitt has an Oscar for producing “12 Years a Slave,” but this year, he finally takes home the elusive acting award. He is the runaway favorite in the category, one that is usually very contentious.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
South Korea, “Parasite” [W] [S]
Spain, “Pain and Glory”
France, “Les Misérables”
North Macedonia, “Honeyland”
Poland, “Corpus Christi”
“Parasite” is one of the best foreign films to reach American mainstream consciousness, and has shaken the film world to its core. Foreign films don’t receive as much attention as they deserve, but this film is a one-of-a-kind experience.
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” [S]
“Life Overtakes Me”
“St. Louis Superman” [W]
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“American Factory” [W] [S]
“The Edge of Democracy”
“Honeyland”
“For Sama”
“The Cave”
ORIGINAL SONG
“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen II”
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” “Rocketman” [W] [S]
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4” [S] [W]
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit” [W]
“Little Women”
“The Two Popes” [S]
“Joker”
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” [W]
“Parasite” [S]
“Knives Out”
“1917”
Joon-ho crafts an incredibly intense and emotional script in “Parasite,” but as it has been self-proclaimed by the filmmaker himself, this award could be nicknamed “The Tarantino.”
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” [W] [S]
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
C’mon. This one is too easy.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women” [S]
Renée Zellweger, “Judy” [W]
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” [S]
Sam Mendes, “1917” [W]
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Mendes has been the fan-favorite during this award season, as he has taken home both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for this category. His direction of a “one-shot” film is genius, and the Academy will reward him for his execution on such a tall task. Yet, “Parasite”’s story arc, character development, and entire aura are extremely unique in today’s age of storytelling. Because of its foreign origin, and lack of eyeballs in large markets, Joon-ho is not getting enough credit for this jarring masterpiece.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” [S]
“The Irishman”
“1917” [W]
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Parasite”
Every shot in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood matters, and the recreation of old-fashioned Hollywood is almost surreal. But, when you have a film like “1917” that doesn’t use the same location twice, it’s the closest thing to a lock.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“1917” [W] [S]
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“The Lighthouse”
Roger Deakins, after 20 Oscar nominations, finally breaks through and wins his first cinematography award. This one-shot masterpiece is a spectacle to watch on the big screen and deserves all the praise it receives.
COSTUME DESIGN
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
“Little Women” [W] [S]
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
SOUND EDITING
“1917” [S]
“Ford v Ferrari” [W]
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
“Joker”
SOUND MIXING
“1917” [W] [S]
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
“Ad Astra”
“Joker”
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
“Dcera (Daughter)” [W]
“Hair Love” [S]
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Sister”
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
“Brotherhood”
“Nefta Football Club” [W]
“The Neighbors’ Window”
“Saria” [S]
“A Sister”
ORIGINAL SCORE
“1917,” Thomas Newman [W]
“Joker,” Hildur Guðnadóttir [S]
“Little Women,” Alexandre Desplat
“Marriage Story,” Randy Newman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” John Williams
The two Newman brothers appear in this category, as they both created exceptional soundtracks for their productions. “1917” will take home the award, but Guðnadóttir, who won both the Golden Globe and BAFTA, told the story of Arthur Fleck, and his isolation from society, through her soundtrack.
VISUAL EFFECTS
“Avengers: Endgame”
“The Lion King”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“The Irishman”
“1917” [S] [W]
The practical effects pulled of “1917”s are refreshing in the age of CGI, and it places the viewer on the rollercoaster ride of a journey through the battlegrounds of WWI.
FILM EDITING
“The Irishman”
“Ford v Ferrari” [W]
“Parasite” [S]
“Joker”
“Jojo Rabbit”
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Bombshell” [W]
“Joker” [S]
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
Featured image courtesy of Consequence of Sound
Anonymous • Mar 31, 2020 at 2:26 pm
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